The experimental analysis of a crevice-type vapor chamber heat pipe (CVCHP) is investigated. The heat source of the CVCHP is a high-power light-emitting diode (LED). The CVCHP, which exhibits a bubble pumping effect, is used for heat dissipation in a high-heat-flux system. The working fluid is R-141b, and its charging ratio was set at 60 vol.% of the vapor chamber in a heat pipe. The total thermal conductivity of the falling-liquid-film-type model, which was a modified model, was 24% larger than that of the conventional model in the LED package. Flow visualization results indicated that bubbles grew larger as they combined. These combined bubbles pushed the working fluid to the top, partially wetting the heat-transfer area. The thermal resistance between the vapor chamber and tube in the modified design decreased by approximately 32%. The overall results demonstrated the better heat dissipation upon cooling of the high-power LED package.

A microcapsule water slurry is a latent heat-storage material having a low melting point. In this study, the thermal properties of a microcapsule water slurry are measured. The physical properties of the test microcapsule water slurry, i.e., thermal conductivity, specific heat, latent heat, and density, are measured, and the results are discussed for the temperature region of solid and liquid phases of the dispersion material (paraffin). It is clarified that Eucken`s equation can be applied to the estimation of the thermal conductivity of the microcapsule water slurry. Useful correlation equations of the thermal properties of the microcapsule water slurry are proposed in terms of the temperature and concentration ratio of the microcapsule water slurry constituents.

Straight vegetable oil (SVO) is widely recommended as fuel for diesel engines in general and especially for marine diesel engines. However, SVOs used directly as fuel for diesel engines may cause problems for the engines; SVOs blended with diesel oil are a better choice. To widen understanding of the possibility of using blended SVOs as fuel alternatives, this paper presents results of experimental research on the combustion of blended straight vegetable oil in a marine diesel engine`s cylinders. Results show that the fuel combustion process have the same curves as in simulations and, in the case of using blended fuels with up to 20% palm oil, the test diesel engine technical parameters such as engine output, exhaust gas temperatures, and specific fuel consumption are very similar to those of diesel oil (DO). Based on these results, marine diesel engines are strong potential applications and particularly recommended for the use of SVO blends.

This study concentrates on a wave energy converter with floaters that extracts the ocean`s energy by moving up and down with the wave motion. The floater is connected to an arm structure, including a hydraulic cylinder that drives a hydraulic generator. This study focuses on a structural analysis of the floater unit, including arm and cylinder components, platform and jack-up system, along with spud columns. Previous studies have been conducted for miniature models for experimentation, but this study focuses on the full-scale model structural analysis. Static structural analysis is conducted using fine numerical grids. Due to the complexity of the whole model, it is analyzed in separate pieces. The floater unit, with arm and cylinder, are combined into one system. The platform is analyzed separately as a single system. There are four jack-up systems for each spud column; only one jack-up system is analyzed, as uniform loads are assumed on each system. There are several load cases for each system, all of which are analyzed thoroughly for stress (von Mises, shear, and normal) and deformation. Acceptable results were obtained for most of the components; unsafe components were redesigned.

This study is conducted for the evaluation of corrosion and lifetime prediction of fire extinguishing pipelines in residential buildings. The fire extinguishing pipeline is made of carbon steel. Twenty-four samples were selected among all the fire extinguishing pipelines in a building; the selection was based on specimenspositions, pipeline diameters, and pipeline thickness. Analysis was conducted by using the results of visual inspection, electrochemical potentiodynamic anodic polarization test, pitting depth measurements, and extreme value statistics with the Gumbel distribution. The maximum pitting depth and remaining life were statistically predicted using extreme value statistics. During visual inspection, pitting corrosion was observed in several samples. In addition, extreme value statistics demonstrated that there were several pipelines that were very sensitive to pitting corrosion. However, the pitting corrosion was not critical in all the pipelines; thus, it was necessary to change only those pipelines that were severely corroded.

Li-air batteries have a promising future for because of their high energy density, which could theoretically be equal to that of gasoline. However, substantial Li-air cell performance limitations exist, which are related to the air cathode. The cell discharge products are deposited on the surfaces of the porous carbon materials in the air electrode, which blocks oxygen from diffusing to the reaction sites. Hence, the real capacity of a Li-air battery is determined by the carbon air electrode, especially by the pore volume available for the deposition of the discharged products. In this study, a simple and fast method is reported for the large-scale synthesis of carbon nanoballs (CNBs) consisting of a highly mesoporous structure for Li-air battery cathodes. The CNBs were synthesized by the solution plasma process from benzene solution, without the need for a graphite electrode for carbon growth. The CNBs so formed were then annealed to improve their electrical conductivity. Structural characterization revealed that the CNBs exhibited both an pore structure and high conductivity.

The Li-air battery is a promising candidate for the most energy-dense electrochemical power source because it has 5 to 10 times greater energy storage capacity than that of Li-ion batteries. However, the Li-air cell performance falls short of the theoretical estimate, primarily because the discharge terminates well before the pore volume of the air electrode is completely filled with lithium oxides. Therefore, the structure of carbon used in the air electrode is a critical factor that affects the performance of Li-air batteries. In a previous study, we reported a new class of carbon nanomaterial, named carbon nanoballs (CNBs), consisting of highly mesoporous spheres. Structural characterization revealed that the synthesized CNBs have excellent a meso-macro hierarchical pore structure, with an average diameter greater than 10 nm and a total pore volume more than . In this study, CNBs are applied in an actual Li-air battery to evaluate the electrochemical performance. The formation mechanism and electrochemical performance of the CNBs are discussed in detail.

The objective of this study is to observe and optimize a typical ocean environment and reduce wave reflections in the wave flume. In order to generate ocean waves in the wave flume, a combination of a horizontal piston type wave generator and wave absorbers was installed in the channel. Two probes for measuring the wave heights, i.e., wave level gauges, were used to record the continuous variation of the wave surface, the phase difference, and the maximum (crest) and minimum (trough) points of the propagating waves. In order to optimize the shape and size of the propagating waves, several absorption methods were proposed. Apart from an active wave absorption method, we used methods that involved vertical porous plates, horizontal punching plates, and sloping-wall-type wave absorbers. To obtain the best propagating waves, a sloping-wall-type wave absorber was chosen and tested in terms of the constitutive filling materials and the location and shape of the plate. This study also focused on the theoretical prediction of the wave surface, separating them into the incident and reflective components. From the results, it is evident that the wave absorber comprising a hard filling material exhibits a better performance than the absorber comprising a soft material, i.e., the wave absorber can be a strong sink to control the energy of the incoming wave. In addition, larger wave absorbers correspond to lower reflectance because a larger volume can reduce the incoming wave energy. Therefore, at constant absorber conditions, the reflectance of the wave increases as the wave period increases. Finally, the reflectance of the wave was controlled to be less than 0.1 in this study so that the wave flume can be used to simulate an offshore environment.

A better flow condition for the intake of pump is provided by the sump pump that connects the forebay to the intake of the pump station. If the suction sump is improperly shaped or sized, air-entraining vortices or submerged vortices may develop. These phenomena may greatly affect pump operation if vortices become sufficiently large. Moreover, any remaining vortices in the pump flow passage may result in an increase in the noise and vibration of the pump. Therefore, the vortices in the pump flow passage must be reduced to achieve good pump sump station performance. In this study, the effect of suction pipe leaning angle on the pump sump`s internal flow is investigated. Additionally, a pipe type with an elbow shape is investigated. The results show that the air entraining vortices occur under the condition of a water level ratio H/D

Tidal current energy is an important alternative energy resource among the various ocean energy resources available. The tidal currents in the South-Western sea of Korea can be utilized for the development of tidal current power generation. Tidal power generation can be beneficial for many fishing nurseries and nearby islands in the southwest region of Korea. Moreover, tidal power generation is necessary for promoting energy self-sufficient islands. As tidal currents are always available, power generation is predictable; thus, tidal power is a reliable renewable energy resource. The selection of an appropriate hydrofoil is important for designing a tidal current turbine. This study concentrates on the selection and numerical analysis of four different hydrofoils (MNU26, NACA63421, DU91_W2_250, and DU93_W_210LM). Blade element momentum theory is used for configuring the design of a 50 W class turbine rotor blade. The optimized blade geometry is used for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis with hexahedral numerical grids. Among the four blades, NACA63421 blade showed the maximum power coefficient of 0.45 at a tip speed ratio of 6. CFD analysis is used to investigate the power coefficient, pressure coefficient, and streamline distribution of a 50 W class horizontal axis tidal current turbine for different hydrofoils.

This study analyzed the offshore plant industry and related regulations such as ISO, IEC, and Norsok Standards to develop an integrated network management system (INMS) capable of both on-site and remote management and configuration of IP-based network equipment in offshore plants. The INMS was designed based on actual specifications and POS plans, and a plan of management was verified through an offshore plant engineering company. Various modules such as PAGA interface modules, CCTV, IP-PBX, and HF-radio communication modules were developed for system implementation. Protocol and data design and screen design were followed by framework development and introduction of the automatic satellite communication function.